Weekend Edition--It's All About the Food

Good afternoon from a VERY cold day in NYC. It was 13 degrees and windy this morning so I skipped my Saturday a.m. workout. I can't believe it's the end of January. Just 47 days 'till spring!

This is my final post about Super Bowl XLIX and it's all about the food (mostly):

• Huffington Post ranks Super Bowl foods from best to worst. According to them, it's not a Super Bowl without pigs in blankets, wings, and dip. 
• Hungry Girl has a recipe for guilt-free meatballs with BBQ dip.
• Breads Bakery, and excellent shop near Union Square, has a Super Bowl Special featuring baguette chips, cheese sticks, crudite, and dip.
• For those who live in Philly, there are tons of options from hoagies to Korean BBQ.
• Time Out New York lists the best places for bar food in the city.
• Don't want to watch the game at home? Metro lists the best Super Bowl parties in NYC. Be prepared to cough up big bucks.
• To fit in with the natives, chow down on Arizona-themed snacks such as white bean dip and Sonoran hot dogs. 



Sonoran Hot Dogs

• Wow, check out this ginorumous snack stadium built from 50 kinds of junk food! The food sculptors, based in LA, then disassembled it and distributed the food to the homeless.

Whether going to a house party or viewing the game at a bar, please, please, please drink responsibly and designate a sober driver!! As for myself, I'm probably going to have salmon for dinner. I've worked hard at losing weight (again) and I don't plan to gain it back. Well, maybe I'll have just a couple of tortilla chips. 

Here are a few more Super Bowl Fun Facts:

Although this is non-food related, check out some outrageous Super Bowl moments from TWC Central.

To play or not to play? Best of luck to Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, who is anxiously awaiting for the birth of his first child with girlfriend Ashley Moss. Coach Pete Carroll has stated that family comes first.

As another alternative to the Big Game, Discovery Life and Discovery Family are airing the Toddler Bowl.  Although this looks adorable, I'm going to stick with the puppies. 

Today's Birthdays: Marcus Mumford (28), Justin Timberlake (34), Kerry Washington (38), Lloyd Cole (54), Kelly Lynch (56), Anthony LaPaglia (56), John "Johnny Rotten" Lyden (59), Harry Wane Casey (64), Jonathan Banks (68), Glynn Turman (69), Jessica Walter (74), and Carol Channing (94).

Tomorrow's Birthdays: Harry Styles (21), Heather Morris (28), Lauren Conrad (29), Andrew VanWyngarden (32), Big Boi (40), Michael C. Hall (44), Pauly Shore (57), Lisa Marie Presley (47), Sherilyn Fenn (50), Billy Mumy (61), Terry Jones (73), Don Everly (78), Garrett Morris (78), Bob Shane (81), and Stuart Whitman (87).

Today's Holidaze: Have fun and put on your shirt backwards because it's National Backward Day! Pull out all stops and have dinner for breakfast and pancakes for dinner! Or you can eat your dessert before you eat your meal. The possibilities are endless!

Today is also National Inspire Your Heart with Art Day. Whether you go to a museum, attend a concert, dance, paint take photographs, there are thousands of ways to appreciate art.

Tomorrow's Holidaze: On February 1, 1865, Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery. Although the Amendment wasn't ratified until December that year, we still celebrate National Freedom Day on February 1.'

For foodies, it's National Baked Alaska Day! This is a dessert consisting of ice cream and cake topped with brown meringue. I've actually never had Baked Alaska, but it looks good.

February 1st is also National Serpent Day. I think I'll skip this one.

On Monday, we find out whether or not we have six more weeks of winter, thanks to the friendly neighborhood groundhog.

Sending prayers to the late Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, who was found unconscious in a bathtub. This comes less than two weeks before the third anniversary of her mother's death, which occurred the same way. Please get this woman some help before it's too late.

Finally, Happy 20th Birthday to my son Alex! It's hard to believe how fast time flies!

Have a PRINTASTIC weekend!

Kathy

Still More Super Bowl Fun Facts and Freebie Friday!

Happy Friday from a relatively balmy day here in the city. I got outside for a nice walk during lunch. That's a good thing because it's going to be another very cold weekend. As the temperature drops tonight, the streets will be sheets of ice. 

Today, we have some more quick facts about the big game, courtesy of Cleveland.com. Some of these facts are quite interesting:

• Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. EST. Al Michaels will provide the play by play, with Chris Collinsworth as the color analyst. Michele Tafoya will report from the sidelines.
• Heads and tails have each turned up exactly 24 times in 48 Super Bowl games. How uncanny is that?
• The Patriots played in Glendale in 2008, but lost to the Giants (17-14).
• The cheapest seats are a mere $800, but they have been selling for thousands on eBay. Shipping is free!
• The Super Bowl ring is made by Tiffany & Co. You want to see last year's? 

• More than 48 million Americans will order takeout or delivery food. 
• My favorite tidbit is the "Frazier Factor." "Cheers," took place at a bar in Boston, and the spin-off "Frazier" was based in Seattle.
• Automakers have always had a major presence in advertising, and this year is no exception: BMW, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Toyota will be airing ads.
• Sirius XM will broadcast the game in seven languages: Spanish, Hungarian, Japanese, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and German.
• According to WalletHub.com, about 20 percent of Americans said they would miss the wedding of a family member or close friend to attend a Super Bowl if their favorite team was playing. Hmmmm.
• As a "puzzle person," I love anagrams. New England Patriots have "A Talented Prong Wins" and a "Talented Wrong Spin." Seattle doesn't have much luck here, the only thing that fits here is "Athletes Weak A--."
• Next year's Super Bowl will be called "50" and forgo the Roman Numeral "L." The game is at San Francisco's Levi's Stadium (home of the 49ers) on Sunday, February 7. Start submitting for the random drawing now! 
• A Seattle-based marijuana dispensary is preparing 12,000 joints for fans ahead of the big game, but they will be for medicinal purposes only. 

Today's New York Post has excellent coverage on Super Bowl Prop Bets. Of all the prop bets, guessing which color Gatorade gets dumped on the winning coach seems will separate the men from the boys, lol. Another popular prop bet is to guess whether the Dow will go up or down on Monday. Last year, the Dow dropped by more than 300 points.

It's Freebie Friday, and we're giving away another fun printable for the kids. This one is called "How Many Words Can You Make from the Word 'Quarterback'" Just right-click the game to download and print. Please note that his game is for personal use only and not for resale. Answers will be published on Monday.

Party Idea of the Day:  No more double-dipping! Let party guest each have their own individual seven-layer dip. Courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Today's Birthdays: Jake Thomas (25), Wilmer Valderrama (35), Josh Kelley (35), Christian Bale (41), Jody Watley (56), Charles S. Dutton (64), Phil Collins (64), Marty Balin (73), Jeanne Pruett (78), Vanessa Redgrave (78), Tammy Grimes (81), and Gene Hackman (85)

Holidaze: Let's hear it for National Croissant Day! Many people like to open these tasty dinner rolls and use them for sandwiches, but I like them plain. The first did not appear in France, but in Vienna, Austria in 1683. After the Turks were defeated in their attempted invasion, Austrian people baked crescent-shaped bread to celebrate. The crescent moon appears on the Turkish flag.

On a sad note, the puzzle world mourns the loss of crossword constructor Bernice Gordon, who passed away from heart failure at age 101. At age 95, she was known as the oldest Times crossword constructor and collaborated with then-16-year-old David Steinberg. She was also the longest-running Times crossword constructor (61 years!). Bernice Gordon was born and raised in Philly, and the Philadelphia Inquirer has published an excellent tribute article. Seems like she lived a charmed life. RIP.

My boys are headed to the Jack White concert at the Garden tonight, and I will be finishing up Oscar Night and movie-themed games for the shop this weekend. Next week, we'll talk about Valentine's Day, Oscar predictions, and more!

Have a PRINTASTIC Day!

Kathy

More Super Bowl XLIX Random Facts and Trivia You Should Know

Of the 186 million people who watch sports, close to half follow football more than any other sport. Here's the question of the day: Which are the best and worst football cities for sports fans? Wallet Hub crunched and analyzed the numbers based on the following metrics: number of NFL teams, performance quality of the team, ticket prices, stadium accessibility, number of championships won, number of sports bars in the area, fan friendliness, franchise value, attendance, and viewership rankings.

Green Bay (home of the Packers) was ranked #1. Rounding out the top ten were East Lansing, Pittsburgh, Denver, Tuscaloosa, San Francisco, Dallas, Cincinnati, Boston, and Minneapolis. I was surprised that New York City was only #39. That's probably because our football teams actually aren't in New York, but in New Jersey. The worst city for the gridiron is Las Vegas, home of the odds makers. The results include the best and worst for each of the above metrics. Click on the above link for a complete listing, and also check out their infographic called "Super Bowl By the Numbers."

The X-Factor: What would Super Bowl be like without its celebrity fans? Patriots' fans include Gisele Bundchen (gee, I wonder why), Maria Menounos, Elton John (!), Mark Wahlberg (also obvious), and Elizabeth Banks. Among those rooting for the Seahawks are Chrissy Teigen, Macklemore, Chris Pratt, John McHale, and Rainn Wilson.

Comedian Kevin McHale will host a Friars Club roast for Terry Bradshaw, and Kevin Hart will be cracking jokes at tonight's Madden Bowl. The singer Charlie XCX will sing for the troops tomorrow night and perform at ESPN's bash as well. The ESPN party promises to be the hub for some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. DirecTV is hosing a three-day music festival, which began last night and culminates tomorrow night with a show by Snoop Dogg and Imagine Dragons. Some parties are by invitation only. DirecTV's Super Saturday night will feature Rihanna. Rolling Stone, Maxim, and Playboy will host private parties as well.

Separated at birth: Check out these pictures of Super Bowl participants who look like celebrities.

It's time for the usual lists:

Party Idea of the Day: Looking for something beyond the usual hot dogs and nachos? Health.com lists some creative snack ideas that sneak in the "good stuff" (i.e., fruits and veggies). This watermelon helmet with fruit salad, courtesy of the blog One Crafty Thing,  is adorable.

Today's birthdays: Adam Lambert (33), Andrew Keegan (36), Sam Jaeger 38), Sara Gilbert (40), Heather Graham (45), Ed Burns (47), Roddy Frame (51), Nicholas Turturro (53), Judy Norton-Taylor (57), Diane Delano (58), Irlene Mandrell (59), Charlie Wilson (62), Marc Singer (60), Bettye LaVette (69), Tom Selleck (70), and Katharine Ross (75).

Holidaze: Celebrate Sudoku, word searches, crosswords, and more on National Puzzle Day! Because our shop is all about the fun puzzles we offer, this is the holidaze for us! There are many puzzle tournaments held during the year, the biggest being the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT), which is the weekend of March 26. After six years in Downtown Brooklyn, the tournament is moving back to original home in Stamford. I competed in five ACPTs. Although I never even reached the top half, my score improved each year. Because the tournament falls on the weekend before Passover, I will probably sit out Stamford this year. In the week leading up to the tournament, we will have some fun facts about different types of word games and puzzles.

What Holidaze will be complete without a foodie celebration? Today is National Corn Chip Day,This is one food I definitely stay away from because I can't eat just a few at a time. Corn Chips are a snack we have enjoyed since they were invented by Fritos in 1932. Who can forget the (now un-PC) 1960s commercial? The great Mel Blanc was the voice of the Frito Bandito.

We mourn the loss of  Colleen McCullough, Australian author of the best-selling novel The Thorn Birds, which became an epic TV miniseries. She passed away at age 77 after a long illness. 

Tomorrow is Freebie Friday and we have another fun activity to keep the kids occupied while the adults watch the Super Bowl.

Have a PRINTASTIC day!

Kathy

The Road to Super Bowl XLIX--Lists of Fun Facts

Hi there, sports fans! I hope those along the East Coast are staying warm, safe and dry. The countdown is just five days!

In lieu of writing about just one Super Bowl Fun Fact of the Day today, I've been searching online for interesting lists of fun facts related to Super Sunday:

• CBS Sports provides a comprehensive match-up between key players for each team. Factors include interesting Super Bowl history, how the quarterbacks perform under pressure, teams pass rush, and the top cornerbacks and runners.
• ESPN.com provides a list of stats for both teams, as well as player rankings.
• Newsday.com has published the weather report for all 48 Super Bowl games to date.
• International Business Times has a list of unusual wagers for the big game.
• Forbes has published their "List of 49 Things You Need to Know About Super Bowl Not Related to Deflate-Gate."
• From the Las Vegas Sun, a list of 49 Super Bowl prop bets.
• Also from ESPN, a list of all the Super Bowl winners.
• From CBS Miami, a list of the 10 Worst Super Bowls
• Host a football movie marathon just before the game! From Netflix, here is a list of recommended films and documentaries.
• Finally, if you're lucky enough to have tickets to the game, here is a list of tips on getting into the stadium, along with a list of rules and events.

In other Super Bowl-related News:

• Deflate-Gate Update: Patriots' owner Robert Kraft demanded an apology from the NFL and claimed that the Patriots did nothing wrong. Expect the investigation to last several weeks.
• Today is Verizon Super Bowl Central, a family-free outdoor event in Downtown Phoenix. 
• Go Daddy is pulling its controversial ad featuring a lost puppy because of a backlash from animal lovers, advocates, the SPCA, and the Humane Society.

Now for the usual lists:

Party Idea of the Day: From Buffalo Chicken Meatballs to Nachos, Huffington Post has some slow cooker recipes that will feed your hungry Super Bowl party guests. The ribs look especially tasty!

Today's Birthdays: Ariel Winter (17), J. Cole (30), Elijah Wood (34), Nick Carter (35), Joey Fatone (38), Brandon Bush (42), Anthony Hamilton (44), Kathryn Morris (46), Rakim (47), DJ Muggs (47), Sam Phillips (53), Dave Sharp (56), Marthe Keller (70), and Alan Alda (79).

Holidaze: Celebrate your office culture with Have Fun at Work Day! Ways to boost work morale can include dining out with co-workers, organizing trips to sports events, or simply designating an hour for birthday celebrants.

If you have a high tolerance for noise, celebrate National Kazoo Day! The first kazoo was made in Alabama in the 1840s, and commercial production began in 1912. From a few years ago, here's a You Tube video featuring the world's largest kazoo band.

Finally, for the foodie in all of us, it's National Blueberry Pancake Day (yum!). Many local eateries will be serving this popular food today. 

For those interested in purchasing a Super Bowl party game from our shop, there's still time! We can accept orders as late as Saturday afternoon.

Have a PRINTASTIC day!

Kathy